Feed mechanism for sewing machines



Dec. 3%, 19%. 5/1". LEVEQUEI FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1925 B. T. LEVEQUE FE-EDI MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 for use in connection Patented Dec. 30, 1930 l K UNITE s'r BERNARD T. LEVEQUE, OF WENHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOIUNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION,

JERSEY OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW FEED MECHANISM non snwme MACHINES Application filed. October 19, 1925. Serial No. 63,230.

The present invention relates to shoe sew ing machines and is herein shown as embodied in a sole sewing machine of the socalled McKay type, the stitch forming 'devices of which comprise a straight hook needle and the work support of which consists of a rotatable horn arranged to extend within the shoe, and provided at its tip with a needle threading device or whirl for laying the thread in the hookof the needle. In addition such machines include a shoe feeding device, and a presser foot which is movable relatively to the horn to clamp the work and release it so that it may be fed.

One object of the invention is to produce a novel and improved feed mechanism especially adapted for use in a shoe sewing ma chine of the McKay type which willoperate smoothly and accurately at high speeds as compared with prior machines.

A further object of the invention attained through the improved construction, is to permit such machines to make shorter stitches uniformly and evenly at increased speeds.

The features of the invention will be reach ily understood by those skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the head of the shoe sewing machine described in applicants pending application, Serial No. 690,265, to which the present invention has been applied; Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing certain parts of the machine including the feed mechanism and presser foot lifting mechanism; Fig. 3 is a detail view in rear elevation of the presser foot lifting mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional plan view of the parts showing Fig; 3 taken on the line 4, Fig. 2. I

The feed mechanism illustrated in. the drawing as embodying a specific form of the present invention was designed particularly with the shoe sole sewing machine described in applicants pending application Serial No. 690,265, filedliebruary 2, 1924, the present application illus trating and describing an alternative form of feeding mechanism for that machine.

The horn of usual construction including a needle threading device is indicated at 6 and the needle at 8. The presser foot, indicated at 10, is forceddownwardly against the work by means of heavy springs as in the machine of said application and is raised slightly during each cycle of operations to permit the feeding of the work by mechanism'hereinafter described.

The feed point 12 is rigidly fixed on the lowerend of the vertical bar 14 which is pivotally connected with the left-hand end of the lever 16. The lever is pivotally connected to the block 20 secured to the presser foot bar 22 by a pivot stud 18 fast to the lever 16'. A spring 24 coiled about the pivot stud 18, and fastened at one end to a collar on the stud and at the other end to the block 20, tends to revolve the lever 16 to lift the feed point from the work. The movement of the lever in one direction is limited by the projection 26 on the lever which engages the lug 28 on the block 20. The movement of the lever in the opposite direction is limited by the projection 30 on the lever which engages the lug 28. On the right-hand end of the lever 16 is pivotally mounted a block 32 in the lower face of-which a V-shaped groove is formed arranged to cooperate with a correspondingly V-shaped edge 34 of the lifting lever 36. This lever extends beneath the block 32 and is pivotally connected directly above the block to an arm 38 projecting from the rock shaft 40. This rock shaft is provided with another arm 42 which is connected by a link 44 to a cam actuated lever 46. The lever extends across the cam shaft 48 and is mounted on a fixed pivot stud 50'. A spring coiled about the pivot stud acts on the lever to hold its cam roll in contact with the cam 52.

During each cycle of operations of the machine the shaft 40 is rocked to lift the lever 36 intocontact with the block 32, and the lever 16 is swung uponits pivot until the feed point is projected below the presser foot into engagement with the work. The lever thencomes in contact with the lug 28 looking the feed point with relation to the presser foot in this position, the feed point projecting into the work a predetermined distance. Continued upward movement of the .for.

lifting member lifts the presser foot to permit the feeding of the work, which rises with the presser foot and is carried forward by the feed point as will be described. During this feeding movement the feed point is held projecting beyond the presser'foot a fixed and predetermined amount.

In order that the lifting movement im' parted to the presser foot may be constant,

regardless of variations in the thickness of ledg'e62 arranged to be engaged by the roll 54. Movement of the lever 58 in one direction is produced by the engagement of the roll 54 with' the ledge 62. Movement-of the lever in the opposite'direction is produced by a spring coiled around the fixed pivot pin 64 of the lever. The arrangement of the edge 34 of the lever 36 with relation to the pivotal connection of the lever 36 with the arm 38 isisuch that an adjustment of the lever 36 in the manner described, as the work varies in thickness, causes the block 32 to be engaged by the lever always at thesame point inthe upward movement of the arm 38, so that the upward movement imparted to the presser foot; is always the same. V The feed point is carried back and forth in the line of feed by a lever '66, the lower end of which is connected by a link 68 to the lower end of the bar 14 which carries the feed point. The upper end of the lever 66 is provided with a camslot 7O Whichis engaged bya roll 7 2' mounted on-the lever 7 4 of the needle actuating mechanism. The lever 66 v is acted upon by a spring which mov'estlic lever in a direction to hold the left-hand side of the cam slot in engagement with the roll 72. During the sewingoperation the roll .72 travels up and down in the slot 70 against the left-hand side of the slot and thus vibrates the lever.

: To provide a simple and efficient means adjusting the length of feed the parts of the feed mechanism are so arranged that the back motion of the feed point is limited by contact with the presser foot 10 which may be adjusted forward or backward as a short or a long stitch is desired. For this purpose a sliding connection is provided between the feed lever 66 and the link 68. A positive connection is obtainedvduring the feeding motion of the lever 66 by means of a nut'76 screwed onto the end of the link 68. A yielding connection during the retracting stroke of the lever 66 is secured-by means of a spring 78 coiled about the link 68 and interposed between the feed lever and a collar on the link.

The mechanisms described above cooperate to form a positive four-motion feeding de vice well adapted for use in a machine making short stitches at high speed.

The nature and object of the invention havingbeen indicated and an embodiment of-theinvention having been specifically de scribed,'wh at is claimed is w 7 1. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a presser foot,

" a feedpoint, a-cam and connections actuated thereby for advancing the feed point beyond thepresser foot intocontact with thework means actuated byisaid connectionsfor there after liftingithe presser foot and feed point inithe' same relative positions to maintain contact of the feed point with the work, and means for moving the-feed point inthe line of feed while the presser :foot is lifted. Y Y 2. Ai'sewing machine having, incombina-c tion, stitch forming devices, a presser foot, a feed pointgia lifting member operating to depress the feed point, into contact with the work and thereafter lift the presser foot, and feed point in the same relative positions to maintain contact of the feed point with the work, and'means for moving the feed point in the line'of feed while the presser foot is lifted. 1 i

3. Asewing machine having, in' combination, stitch forming devices, a presser foot, a lever pivoted thereon and havinga limited swinging movement, a feed point pivoted on one endof the lever, and'means for actuating the lever to depress the feed point and thereafter to lift the presser "foot and feedpoint and means for moving the feed point in'the line 'offeed. 7

4. A sewing machinehaving, in combination, stitch forming devices, a presser foot, a lever pivoted thereon and having a limited swinging movement, a feed'point pivotally connected at its upper endto oneend of the lever, an abutment on the other end of the lever, a presser foot lifting member, and means for moving the lifting member to engage-the abutment and swing the lever on the presser fo'ot until the feedpoint'eng'agesthe work and thereafter lift the presser foot and feed point. f 5. A sewing'machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a presser foot, a lever pivoted thereon, a-feed point mounted upon one end of the lever, a presser foot lifting device arranged to act on the other end of the lever, and means for actuating the presser foot lifting device to engagefthe lever and th'erebydep ress the feed after raise the presser'foot;

6. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, V a lever pivotedth'ereon,

point and therea feed point carrier a presser foot,

pivotally mounted at its upper end on one end of said lever, and means engaging the lever to swing the lever on the presser foot to engage the feed point with the work and thereafter to lift the presser foot.

K presser foot until the feed point engages the work and thereafter lift the presser foot and feed point, and means controlled by the thickness of the work for positioning the lifting member to cause it to engage the abutment at the same point in its lifting movement regardless of the thickness of the work.

8. A sewing machine havin in combination, stitch forming devices a eed point carrier, a feed point mounted thereon and immovable with relation thereto in the line of feed, means for moving the feed point towards and from the work, a feed lever to reciprocate the feed point in the line of feed,

'means for actuating the feed lever, a link connecting the feed point and the feed lever, and a spring connection between the feed lever and link to provide a yielding connection between the link and feed lever on the retracting stroke of the lever.

9. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a presser foot, a feed point, a lifting member for advancing the feed point beyond the presser foot into engagement with lifting the presser foot and feed point with the feed point in advanced position, means for moving the feed point in the line of feed while the presser foot is lifted, and means controlled by the thickness of the work for adjusting automatically the lifting member to raise the presser foot the same amount regardless of the thickness of the work.

10. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a presser foot, means for lifting the presser foot, a pivotally mounted feed point carrier connected to move with the presser foot during its lifting movement, a feed point rigidly mounted on the feed point carrier, means acting independently of the movement of the feed point in the line of feed for moving the feed point carrier to project the feed point beyond the presser foot into contact with the work and to retract the feed point from the work, and

means for imparting a swinging movement about its pivot to the feed point carrier in the line of feed while the presser foot is lifted.

11. A sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a presser foot, means for lifting the presser foot, a pivotallv mounted feed point carrier connected to move with the presser foot during its lifting movement, a feed point rigidly mounted on the feed point carrier, means acting independently of the movement of the feedpoint in the line of feed for moving the feed point carrier to project the feed point beyond the presser foot into contact with the work and to retract the feed point from the work and means for imparting a swinging movement about its pivot to the feed point carrier to feed the work, said means comprising a feed lever, means for actuating the feed lever, and a link connecting the feed point carrier and feed lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BERNARD T. LEVEQUE.

the work and thereafter 

